Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

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Facts & Figures

To remember the victims of the world´s first atomic bomb attack the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in the center of Hiroshima stands as the symbol of this tragedy. Over one million visitors from all over the world come every year to this 120.000 square meters park. Experience the Ultimate Japanese Hospitality at a Hiroshima Ryokan.
 Find Your Perfect Ryokan Now > The park contains many buildings, monuments, and museums like the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Memorial Cenotaph, Children’s Peace Monument, Peace Clock Tower, Flame of Peace, and the A-Bomb Dome (Genbaku Domu). There are almost 50 memorials in and around the park. The Atomic Bomb Dome has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park:
• Opening Hours - 8:30 am to 7:00 pm (last entry 6:30 pm) in August
• Opening Hours - 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (last entry 4:30 pm) from December till February
• Opening Hours - 8:30 am to 6:00 pm (last entry 5:30 pm) rest of the year
• Closed - December 29th till 31st
• Admission Fee - Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park: free
• Admission Fee - Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: 50 yen

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History

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was opened to the public in 1954. Before the atomic bomb attack, the park was the place of a bustling downtown center of Hiroshima. On the 6th of August 1945, the commercial and political heart of the city was destroyed by an explosion 600 meters above ground, and thousands of people were killed. 4 years after this tragedy the government of the city decided to create the Memorial Park instead of rebuilding the whole area. The construction took till 1954.

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Sightseeing spots

important places:

A-Bomb Dome (Genbaku Domu) - A few buildings survived the explosion in downtown Hiroshima, the A-Bomb Dome was one of them. The epicenter of the blast is just 160m away from the building. It was originally constructed by Czech architect Jan Letzel (1880 - 1925) in 1915 as an Industrial Promotion Hall. The UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1996) is now the symbol and reminder of Hiroshima's past. The A-Bomb Dome stands for the fight to get rid of nuclear weapons all over the world. It took some effort and 3 renovation projects to keep the building in its current shape. The last repairs were done in 2016.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum - The centerpiece of the park is an educational center about the atomic bomb and the history of Hiroshima. The museum opened in 1955 and consists of two buildings (Main and East Building). The exhibition shows belongings from the victims of the disastrous explosion like documents, photographs, and other items.

Memorial Cenotaph - Memorial Cenotaph or Memorial Monument for Hiroshima - City of Peace, is an arched tomb for the victims (more than 220000) of the explosion. All their names are inscribed inside the memorial. It was designed by famous architect Kenzo Tange (1913 - 2005). The memorial includes a nearly 100-meter-long pond and is located between the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Memorial Museum. The following phrase can be found in the cenotaph - Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil.

Peace Flame - The flame has burned since the 1st of August 1964 and will be turned off when all nuclear bombs are removed from this planet. The foundation of the flame is made in the form of two open hands pointing to the sky.

Children's Peace Monument - The monument was created by sculptor Kazuo Kikuchi (1908 - 1985) and Kiyoshi Ikebe (1920 - 1979). It remembers Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of child victims of the atomic explosion. The statue was completed on the 5th of May 1958 (Children’s Day). Sadako Sasaki battled leukemia for 10 years before she died. During that time she folded paper cranes. This paper crane is now an international symbol of peace and can be seen at the top of the monument.

Peace Bells - You can find in total 3 Peace Bells created by national treasure and expert bell-caster Masahiko Katori (1899 - 1988) in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Visitors are encouraged to ring the bell and pray for world peace.

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims - The memorial hall was opened to the public in 2002 by the Japanese government. It was designed by architect Kenzo Tange (1913 - 2005). People come here to pray for world peace and to remember the victims.

24 Phoenix Trees (Aogiri) - Those trees survived the blast at a distance of 1,3 km. It was a miracle when they started blossoming again one year later. In 1973 they were moved to the current location. The seeds are given now to visitors from Japan and other countries.

Cenotaph For Korean Victims of The Atomic Bomb (Kankoku-jin Genbaku Giseisha Ireihi) - 20000 Korean workers died during the atomic explosion. The cenotaph became part of the Hiroshima Memorial Park in 1999.

Other memorials - Monument Dedicated to Toge Sankichi (local poet), A-bomb Monument of the Hiroshima Municipal Girl's High School

Festival & Events (dates can change without notice)

August

Peace Memorial Ceremony (6th)
The city of Hiroshima holds this event to remember the victims of the atomic bomb attack and to pray for world peace in the future. At 8:15 am (the time when the bomb exploded) the Peace Bell is rung and for 1min life stands still in Hiroshima. During the day there are more ceremonies held and visitors from overseas can get explanations from the helpful staff.